Stow-on-the-Wold to the Inn at Fossebridge

Sunday 31st May

I soon left behind the expensive Stow tourist Mecca this morning having survived the night in the YHA dorm with the only one of ten who snored on the bunk above me.

Out in the country I was going well and feeling fit on improved path surfaces. Terrain is important and hugely varied on this kind of walk but most of the MW is not bad going, but occasionally there are sections of long wet grass with nettles and a tall plant with white flowers that looks a bit like opened up cauliflower. We used to call it "step mother's blossom" but that may not be correct.

I have walked through many of these Cotswolds villages now and you never seem to see anybody. There are immaculate gardens but nobody tending to them or enjoying them. Then there are the very large houses with security gates again apparently lifeless.

I met a dog walker gent at Lower Slaughter who told me about a prosperous p.r. guy who had bought a farmhouse to the north for millions (must be the same guy Gimmer commented about a few posts back) and dismantled it, dug a huge hole in the ground to accommodate a full size swimming pool and then rebuilt the farmhouse stone by stone on top with many other expensive trimmings. This must have cost several more millions - where do these people get that kind of money? Once you have created such a domain I reckon the rest of your life is spent dealing with specialist gardeners, pool contractors, security people, general domestic staff, and many others needed to keep things up to standard. Well if that's what you enjoy ok, but it wouldn't be my choice. I say keep things simple and have more time to pursue your genuine interests.

Two more wealth indicators: for the last two or three days there have always been one or two small aircraft continuously in the sky presumably teaching people to fly, and the constant sound of twelve bores. Today twelve bore shots sounded in the distance every two or three seconds for over four hours - clay shooting I guess, but work out how many cartridges must have been expended.

Here at The Inn at Fossebridge there is no wifi in the rooms, only the bar, but everything else is fine. There is no Vodafone or Orange signals, but the lady let me use the office phone to ahead for tomorrow's accommodation, which for the first time was successful at the first try - bank holiday over thankfully.

Camera photo thing has gone unto rebellion again so photos to follow when I have given thing a good thrashing.






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